The U.S. Justice Department has requested a federal judge to maintain secrecy around the identities of two individuals who received substantial payments from Jeffrey Epstein in 2018, according to NBC News. The outlet reported that it had sought the release of the names of those who received the funds.
The Justice Department argued that privacy concerns raised by the two individuals justified keeping their identities confidential. The payments, totaling $100,000 and $250,000 respectively, occurred days after the Miami Herald began publishing investigative reports criticizing Epstein’s 2008 plea deal in Florida. As part of the agreement, federal prosecutors in Florida assured that the individuals would not face prosecution.
The payments surfaced after Epstein’s 2019 indictment and arrest in New York, when prosecutors cited the transactions as evidence of his potential witness tampering. The funds were traced to a trust account controlled by Epstein, with each recipient labeled a potential co-conspirator. One individual was identified in an indictment as an employee involved in facilitating Epstein’s alleged trafficking of minors.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, stated that the individuals had objected to the disclosure of their names and personal details. A federal judge has given parties until September 12th to respond to the request to keep the identities redacted.